Reluctant Love
by GothicReader
Summary: What happens one day when the magic of Hogwarts itself finally decides that it can't take Hermione and Draco's arguing any longer and sends them off into an imaginary land where only true love will release them? Read and find out!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys I was toying with the idea for this story for a while and I've finally decided to put my pen to paper (figuratively of course). **

**I do not own Harry Potter or any other characters; J.K Rowling does! The storyline, however, is mine.**

**Ch.1**

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><p>In Hogwarts castle, we find a man and woman who stand in front of a mirror, which is depicting a bickering pair of teens.<p>

"They're at it again, Albus," Esmeralda Claw said in an exasperated voice.

Sighing, the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry looked up from the mirror and turned to face his colleague. "Indeed they are," he said tiredly.

Esmeralda Claw was the actual embodiment of all the magic of Hogwarts castle. She had aided all the previous headmasters and served as one of the main wards protecting Hogwarts from evil. Esmeralda had been one of the witches to help the founders of Hogwarts and had actually sealed her very soul in the building in order to protect the castle and inhabitants. And currently she was conversing with Professor Dumbledore about a situation that had occurred daily in the school.

After the war, all sixth years had been called back for their seventh year and Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy had been chosen as the Heads. And while Draco no longer taunted Hermione about her blood status, he found simple ways in which to annoy her to no end. And she in return would retaliate and it would eventually lead to a fight between the two. Even though they fought constantly, they two ultimately became friends. This had been a regular occurrence through the start of the year, and while many hinted that Draco's taunting of Hermione was simply a cover-up for other emotions, both of them denied having any feelings for the other except for irritation and annoyance.

And one such occurrence was being viewed from the Headmaster's office through his magic mirror.

Hermione had been in the library and was just about to finish a book on The Effects of Magic on Arthurian Legends, when she found it being snatched away from her. It seemed that Draco had been looking for her to discuss some Heads business and he couldn't help but take her book just to irritate her.

"Give me back my book," Hermione said through clenched teeth as she tried to grab her book back.

Draco, however, had grown since the previous year and was now muscular and tall so he had no problem with keeping the book out of her reach.

Hermione huffed in fake defeat before settling back into her chair so that she would have her wand, which she had left on the side of the chair.

Lifting it up, she waved it threateningly, "Give me back the book now Malfoy or suffer."

Draco looked at her for a few moments before he burst out laughing, "Oh please Granger, you look as threatening as a little kitten."

Hermione looked at him outraged before she pointed her wand at him and shouted, "Rictusempra." She then watched in triumph as Draco fell to his knees, dropping the book next to him, and clutched his stomach, looking as if someone was tickling him mercilessly.

"Mercy," Draco managed to wheeze as he felt his sides begin to pain due of his laughing.

Hermione picked up her book and went back to her seat where she folded her legs and twirled her wand between her two fingers, appearing to consider his plea.

"Hmm nope, I prefer you there," she said, her eyes twinkling. She then began to chuckle to herself as she watched Draco squirm helplessly on the ground.

She was so caught up with laughing at him that she failed to notice that Draco had managed to get his wand and pointed it at her, whispering, "Levicorpus."

Hermione squealed as Draco's spell hit her and she felt herself being hung upside down in the air. She let out a soft shriek as she clutched the bottoms of her skirt to stop them from falling down and revealing her underwear to the hysterical boy who stood below her.

"Malfoy let me down this instant!" she shouted.

Draco shook his head, "No can do luv, it's called payback."

Hermione considered her options before she suddenly had a brilliant idea. "Malfoy, seriously let me down," she said softly, "I'm not feeling so …" and at that point, she pretended to faint.

Draco, after a few minutes of laughing, realised that Hermione was no longer talking, looked up and he noticed how pale her face looked and how her eyes appeared to be closed shut. He immediately muttered the counter spell and placed her back onto her chair. Just as he was about to keep if she was okay, he felt ice cold water hit him face first.

It seemed that Hermione had found her wand as soon as she had been set back onto the seat and had cast a quick, "Aguamenti" at him.

Soaking wet, Draco shook his wet blonde hair a bit, just to annoy Hermione before running up to her and attempting to grab her in a wet embrace. Hermione had been one-step ahead of him and had simply woken up from the chair before he could make any contact. They now circled around the chair, the lioness and the snake.

And it was this picture the mirror showed to the two people who sat observing the pair from their seats.

Sighing, Esmeralda turned to the Headmaster once more, "I think we should use the spell, it's the only way to preserve the sanity of everyone and most importantly of those two."

Professor Dumbledore considered her words for a while before saying, "I suppose you're right," in a defeated tone. "I believe that the book that Miss Granger was reading should be sufficient enough?"

"Quite so," Esmeralda said in agreement.

Dumbledore pointed his wand at the mirror and muttered a spell which caused the couple to shimmer and then promptly disappear, leaving only the book behind. He then waved his wand and held out his hand as the book apparated into his grasp.

"Well, I suppose all we can do now is wait," he said, "Lemon drop?" he asked

Esmeralda shook her head and turned to view the mirror, which now appeared to be spilt into two different scenes.

On one side was Hermione in a grand room filled with crimson and gold and on the other was Draco who appeared to be asleep in a bed of emerald and silver, both of them surrounded by servants. The two appeared to be sleeping but it was at that exact moment that both of them woke up, uttering the same thing, "Where am I?"

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><p><strong>Review and enjoy!<strong>

**Ps: sorry for any grammatical or spelling errors.**

**Hasta La Proxima!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews!**

**Ps: the letter contents are in bold!**

**I do not own Harry Potter or any other characters; J.K Rowling does! The storyline, however, is mine.**

**Ch.2**

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><p>Draco's question drew the attention of a young servant who had been opening the silver curtains to allow the light in. The servant bore a striking resemblance to Blaise, with his black hair and blue eyes.<p>

"Good morning my liege, your parents have requested your presence in the dining area. A letter has arrived for you, would you like to open it now?" the Blaise look-a-like asked.

Draco shook his head, thinking this to be a dream, "I….I will open the letter now. Thank you, that is all."

The servant nodded his head and handed Draco a letter before bowing and leaving. Draco watched him leave and then ripped open the envelope, which coincidently had the Hogwarts crest as a seal.

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><p><strong>Dear Mr Malfoy<strong>

**I regret to inform that due to the constant disagreements between Miss Granger and yourself, the both of you have been sent to a separate realm where you will be expected to try to co-exist peacefully. Should you fail, I am saddened to inform you that both of you will be forever trapped in the realm. This is for the sake on the sanity of not only the students but Hogwarts itself. There is, however, a manner for which the pair of you can exit the realm: true love. There is another condition, the terms of exiting are only valid until the winter solstice, and as you are aware, that is in five months. **

**Good luck! Once again, I am deeply sorry!**

**Yours sincerely**

**Headmaster Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore**

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><p>Snarling, Draco ripped the letter apart and threw it on the floor. This was not turning to out to be such a good final year after all. "Wonder what Granger's doing," he thought as he fell back onto the bed with his head on his hands.<p>

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><p>Hermione's exclamation drew the attention of the maid who was placing some white daisies into a jug by her bedside. The startled maid looked like an exact replica of Ginny, with her red hair tied into a bun and her blue eyes sparkling.<p>

"Good morning Miss, it is quite a warm day and your parents have decided to have breakfast out on the terrace. They will seek you soon. A letter has arrived for you, shall I run a bath while you open it?" the servant said.

Hermione, who was still in shock, nodded her head and held out her hand. The servant quickly handed her the letter and walked hastily to another door, presumably leading to the bath chambers. She then quickly opened the letter with the Hogwarts seal.

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><p><strong>Dear Miss Granger<strong>

**I regret to inform that due to the constant disagreements between Mr Malfoy and yourself, the both of you have been sent to a separate realm where you will be expected to try to co-exist peacefully. Should you fail, I am saddened to inform you that both of you will be forever trapped in the realm. This is for the sake on the sanity of not only the students but Hogwarts itself. There is, however, a manner for which the pair of you can exit the realm: true love. There is another condition, the terms of exiting are only valid until the winter solstice, and as you are aware, that is in five months. **

**Good luck! Once again, I am deeply sorry!**

**Yours sincerely**

**Headmaster Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore**

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><p>Hermione groaned and fell back onto her fluffy pillow, her ever-active brain formulating a plan of escape but to her utter dismay, she was unable to think of anything. Just as she were about to scream out her frustration, the Ginny carbon copy entered and ushered her into the bath chambers. She sighed as she sunk into a golden tub filled with bubbles and warm, cinnamon scented water.<p>

"I wonder what Draco's doing now?" she thought to herself as she let the warmth of the water chase away the stress of the letter and with a smile on her lips she fell asleep in the bathtub.

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><p>Draco had found the bath chambers and had had a quick bath before trying to locate his closet. When he was successful, he let out a cry of dismay at the clothes on display in front of him. Instead of his normal Slytherin green robes or black jeans and shirts, there stood a closet full of puffy black pants and a majority of pirate like shirts. Draco let out a sigh of defeat and started rifling through the clothes trying to find clothes, which were simpler than some of the clothes that he had seen when he had opened the draw.<p>

After a few moments of searching, he found a somewhat sleek pair of black pants and a white pirate shirt whose buttons stopped halfway up his chest. He stood in front of the clothes while forlornly remembering his normal clothes that were back at Hogwarts.

Draco dressed up and opened his room door, to his surprise the rest of the house was also an assortment of silver and green. He quickly pulled aside a servant and asked them where the dining area was. And after casting him a strange look, the servant pointed him to the right door further ahead in the corridor.

Draco walked briskly in a pair of black riding boots that he had found at the foot of his closet. He flung open the door that the servant had pointed to and to his surprise, he found his parents sitting in front of him.

Striding towards them, he began talking excitedly, "Mother, Father I'm glad to see you, you wouldn't believe what Dumbledore's done…"his voice trailed off as his parents watched him with confused and worried expressions.

Finally his father spoke, "Draco, son, I think that you drank too much last night. And who is this Dumbledore you speak of?"

Draco stood confused for a minute or so, until he remembered the Blaise look-a-like. Shaking his head, he said, "I think that you are correct father, perhaps I did." Draco then took his seat on the right hand side of his father while his mother sat on the left.

Once he sat down, his mother began fussing over him, "Dearest, I've told you many times not to drink too much. And now look at what's happened, you're wearing your riding clothes to breakfast. I will excuse it just this once, but do remember to dress appropriately tonight."

"Mother what is tonight?" Draco asked, puzzled.

"Why the King and Queen are hosting a dance for all in the kingdom, and we have been invited to attend. And perhaps you shall find a maiden to wed."

Remembering the letter, Draco picked up a grape and muttered, "Maybe."

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><p><strong>Review and enjoy!<strong>

**Ps: sorry for any grammatical or spelling errors.**

**Ciao! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for the reviews!**

**I do not own Harry Potter or any other characters; J.K Rowling does! The storyline, however, is mine.**

**Ch.3**

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><p>"Push it in!" a frustrated voice said.<p>

"I can't, no matter how much I suck it in, it just won't go any deeper," another voice said helplessly.

From inside of Hermione's chambers, a sigh could be heard. The scene that lay in front was quite peculiar.

Hermione stood by the curtains, her hands holding on tightly to the twin bronze poles in front of her. Her attendant could be seen pulling the silver ribbons to her green corset. They had been like this for a few hours, ever since Hermione had gotten news about the ball that she would be forced to attend that night.

"I don't see as to why I have to dress up for a simple dance," Hermione said impatiently, her face set in a grimace.

The girl, whose name Hermione had learnt to be Gisele, sighed. "My lady, this is not just a dance, this is one of the royal balls. All the noblemen of the land shall be there. And you, as a maiden, are expected to attend. Now hold still," she said before tying the ribbons into a bow and moving away from Hermione.

Hermione let out a small sigh and moved away from the two poles to stand in front of her long mirror. She let out a soft gasp as she saw herself for the first time in the day.

Her mahogany curls were in a gentle upstyle with her fringe fanning the side of her face. She wore a minimum amount make-up and the only colour on her face was a dark red lipstick, which set off the paleness of her skin and the greenness of her dress. Her dress was a shade of emerald and had silver spun into embroidery in the shape of vines and ivy, on the corset. All in all, she looked like an elegant wood nymph. The finishing touch was a small silver tiara, which lay atop her tamed curls.

"Wow, Gisele. You are a miracle worker," Hermione said breathlessly, her eyes still trained on the young lady in front of her, who looked graceful even when she was standing still.

Gisele snorted behind her, "Forgive me for saying this my lady. But there wasn't much to be done; your natural beauty was simply hidden behind your bushy hair," she said teasingly.

Hermione watched as she blushed and her two cheeks tinged with a light pink.

"Aha! There's the colour you needed," Gisele said as she tugged Hermione to the doors and pulled her to the entrance chambers, where her parents stood.

"Oh my darling, you looking simply stunning," Hermione's mother said as she gushed forward and hugged her daughter.

Hermione blushed and looked at the ground. She looked up when she felt a pair of hands squeeze her shoulders.

"We only have to attend for a few hours, and then we can depart," her father whispered in her ears.

Hermione swallowed a sigh of relief and smiled to meet her father's twinkling eyes.

Her gaze shifted when her mother clapped her hands, and moved them towards the door and then into the carriage. Hermione tilted her head towards the window and looked up at the stars, each one of them sending off a small glow. Hermione remembered her father's promise and a small smile graced her serene face.

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><p>Draco groaned in frustration as he rifled through his rather large closet. He had only a few more minutes before the carriage arrived and he was standing in front of his closet in only his black boxers. He continued searching for a few more minutes before he let out a triumphant whoop. He stepped back from the closet, a black coat with a silver undershirt and pants in his hands. He had also managed to find a long silver chain on which hung a dragon pendant, with an emerald eye looking out, its wings outstretched and a sorrowful expression on his face.<p>

Draco quickly pulled on his pants and shrugged on his shirt and coat before running his hand through his hair, effectively giving him a tousled look. He quickly hopped into a pair of boots, which he hoped would be acceptable and ran down the stairs to meet his parents be the entrance of their manor. As he ran, he let out a sigh of irritation as a few of his platinum blond strands fell onto his forehead.

His parents appeared in sight as he reached the bottom of the staircase.

"There you are sweetheart," his mother said as she gestured him towards the door, "We best be going now," she added, Draco's father only nodded his head.

Draco sighed before walking towards the carriage. When he had entered the carriage, he looked up at the dark blue sky with its silver stars and began to prepare himself for the chaos that lay ahead.

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><p>Draco was jolted out of his thoughts when the carriage stopped in front a magnificent castle. The great stone walls were covered in vines and the windows held a mysterious look as they reflected the night sky. Draco and his parents were greeted by a footman and led to one of the many entrances to the ballroom.<p>

When they entered, Draco's gaze was immediately drawn to the grand thrones, which sat at the head of the room in front a portrait of a lake. Atop the two thrones sat Harry Potter and Pansy Parkinson. Draco starred at them in shock before his mother elbowed him in the side for staring. His gaze was then drawn to a person whose entrance had made a commotion.

And then he saw her…

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><p>Hermione had just entered the ballroom when she was instantly assaulted with greetings and praises. Just as she was about to be overwhelmed, a hand hauled her through the crowd and deposited her on a plush chair. She looked at her saviour and found that to her surprise it was Luna Lovegood.<p>

Just as she was about to thank her, a hand came into view. "May I have this dance, my lady?" an all too familiar voice asked.

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><p><strong>And no, Hermione is not a princess, I just thought to the tiara completed the look. <strong>

**Review and enjoy!**

**Ps: sorry for any grammatical or spelling errors.**

**Au revoir!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for the reviews!**

**I do not own Harry Potter or any other characters; J.K Rowling does! The storyline, however, is mine.**

**Ch.4**

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><p>Hermione looked up and stared into the azure eyes of Theodore Nott. She glanced beside her to check if it had been Luna he had asked. To her surprise, she found that Luna was looking at her with an equal look of shock on her face.<p>

She glanced around at the rest of the attendants and then gave Theodore her hand. Theo took her hand and led her onto the dance floor. There, he began a slow dance, which was in tune with the live orchestra music playing in the background.

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><p>Draco clenched his fists as he watched Hermione dance with Theo. He had been about to approach her regarding their current situation when he saw Theo walk towards her. He saw him offer Hermione his hand and to Draco's dismay, she accepted it. Draco felt a great sense of shock with an underlying emotion that he couldn't quite discern emerge from his cool façade. With these two emotions coursing through his veins, Draco turned his steely gaze towards the pair as he watched his friend dance with one of his classmates.<p>

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><p>Hermione danced on, oblivious to the glare she was receiving. As they spun around effortlessly, mainly due to Theo's dancing skills, Hermione found herself slowly letting go of the small sense of reservation towards her dancing partner and instead she choose to revel in the feeling of a pair of strong arms encompassing her as the room slowly faded, leaving only Theo and her. She was so absorbed in the dance that she was suddenly wrenched from the serenity of their movements when Theo stopped dancing and led her back to the chair next to Luna's.<p>

"Thank you for the dance milady," he said as he bowed and placed a fleeting kiss on her hand before disappearing back into the crowd.

"I would watch out for him," Luna murmured, "He is quite notorious amongst the ladies of the court. Especially the queen," she said as she inclined her head towards the pair of grand thrones and their occupants. "The queen seems to have taken a liking to him and the king does not seem too pleased with that, and your admirer does not appear to like him much either, " she said as she looked towards a familiar looking blond.

Hermione followed her gaze and met the fiery scrutiny of a pair on silver eyes. She let out a little gasp as she recognised their owner and quickly got up, while mumbling an excuse to Luna, and walked towards the person. As she neared him, she grabbed his arm and jerked him onto one of the many terraces of the palace.

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><p>Draco was positively seething with jealousy by the end of the dance and yet he refused to act upon his current feelings. He snatched a glass of wine from one of the many servers and gulped it down, never once taking his eyes of the beautiful brunette and her dance partner. He was jolted out his jealous rage when he heard someone clear their throat next to him.<p>

"Stare anymore and the man will burst into flames," a man who looked surprisingly identical to Crabbe said, "And I don't think his young partner nor the queen will be pleased if that happens."

Draco stared in bewilderment for a few minutes before clearing his throat and addressing his companion, "And who might you be to be handing out advice?" he asked non too politely.

"Well you must really be in a foul temper tonight if you can't remember one of your good friends," the man said seemingly unfazed.

"I must have had too much to drink," Draco said in order to preserve his façade.

"It's okay, sometimes the liquor served is strong enough to make a person forget their own name. The name's Cornelius Crabbe, one of the noble families aligned to the ancient house of Malfoi. And the young lady you have been staring at is none other than the sole daughter of the house of Granis, Hermione. Her partner appears to be none other than Theo Notre, " he said, adding a tone of contempt when he introduced Theo.

"I see that I am not the only one who does not seem too keen on that gentleman…, " Draco said as his eyes strayed back to the middle of the ballroom, just in time to meet eyes with Hermione, who had been escorted back to her seat. He watched in wonder as she got up and walked towards him and before he could voice a protest he found himself being wrenched onto a balcony.

He drew in a shocked breath and was about to speak when his eyes met Hermione's and he was stunned silent from the anger barely hidden in the them.

"I can't believe the nerve of you," Hermione said as she drew herself up to her full height and she began to poke Draco in the chest as she listed her points. "How dare you stare at me for the entire night as if this whole mess was my fault," this was accompanied with a poke. "When you," poke, "did not even try to attempt to find me so that we could figure out this problem. If anything, this is your fault," Hermione huffed, while giving Draco a final poke before folding her arms with an annoyed look on her face.

Draco stood still for a while, rubbing his sore chest before he said, "Firstly this was not just my fault, as the letter said it was both of ours and secondly I was not staring at you because of that, I was simply looking at the scoundrel you were dancing with. And thirdly…"

He was interrupted by an snort from Hermione, "How long is your list going to be Malfoy?"

Draco shot her a look of irritation before continuing, " And thirdly, oww! For someone your age, you have quite pointy fingers luv."

Hermione smiled gleefully, "Thanks, it's one thing I take pride in."

Draco looked at her smile and shook his head, casting her a wary smile, "And they said Voldemort was evil."

"Hey! I prefer the term 'mad genius' ,"Hermione said as she smiled in return.

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><p>And as this pair swapped teasing comments under the light of the stars in a land far away from the confines of logic, another pair observed them through a mirror.<p>

"It's working Albus, its working, " Esmeralda whispered as if she were afraid to corrupt the picture in front of her.

"It is indeed my dear, now all we can do is wait and watch," Professor Dumbledore said from behind his cluttered table with his head resting on his hands and a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

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><p><strong>Review and enjoy!<strong>

**Ps: sorry for any grammatical or spelling errors.**

**Ciao!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for the reviews!**

**I do not own Harry Potter or any other characters; J.K Rowling does! The storyline, however, is mine.**

**Ch.5**

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><p>Draco leaned against the balcony under a starry sky and winced as he rubbed his sore chest. The pain over his heart had been caused by none other than the person standing next to him, though he wasn't sure if it had been caused by her sharp pokes or the fact that she had been dancing the night away with another man.<p>

He reached his hand out and grabbed two glasses of wine from one of the passing waiters. He offered a glass to Hermione before sipping casually from his goblet.

Hermione scrunched her nose at the liquid in the glass and turned to Draco. "I don't think this is juice, Malfoy," she said as she sniffed the contents of her goblet.

Draco laughed, "Of course it isn't. You think they'd serve juice at a ball? It's wine Granger."

"Wine?" Hermione shrieked. "I'm not legal and neither are you Malfoy," she said as she made a grab for the glass in his hand.

Due to his height, Draco easily held up his goblet, evading Hermione's attempts.

Hermione continued for a while before she stepped to his side, her arms folded. "Fine Malfoy, have it your way. Just don't blame me when you get in trouble when we get back to school," she huffed.

"That's if we get back," Draco muttered softly, "Take it easy, there's no one here to see. Relax, have fun for once," he continued in a louder voice.

"That's exactly what a villain would say to get an innocent girl in trouble," Hermione said as she turned her head away.

Draco chuckled softly before he gently grabbed Hermione's chin, turning her face to his. "Do I look like a villain, Granger?"

Hermione looked at him breathlessly, "Do…do you really want me to answer that, Malfoy?"

"You don't have to," Draco whispered as his face drew closer to hers, his eyes locked with hers.

Hermione's face instinctively mirrored his actions and just before their lips met, Hermione jerked back slightly and pulled her glass to her lips.

Draco looked at her in shock as she swallowed a large gulp of wine, "Whoa there, don't drink so fast. You're a lightweight."

Hermione tilted the cup upwards, swallowing all of its contents before she narrowed her eyes, "I am not a lightweight. I'll have you know that I can hold my liquor perfectly, " she replied primly before grabbing another glass and finishing it.

"This is the first time you've ever had wine. How would you know how well you hold your liquor?" Draco asked exasperatedly.

"I know everything," Hermione said with a rather broad smile. "I'm the brightest," hiccup, "witch in the whole world," she said with childlike pride.

Draco shook his head at her behaviour before he took her goblet from her, "Let me take that away from you, before you fall and hit your head on it."

Hermione pouted," Give me it back!" she demanded.

"No," Draco said simply.

"You're mean Draco," Hermione said with seriousness that only a drunken person could muster.

Draco laughed, "Now now Granger, settle down like a good Gryffindor."

Hermione pouted at him for a while before a mischievous look crossed her face. Immediately, Draco's internal alarms went off, "What's with that look?" he asked nervously.

"Oh nothing," Hermione said as she smiled innocently. "Look!" she said as she pointed down at the gardens, "A shining gateway!"

Draco instantly ran to the balcony and looked around the garden for the object she had just pointed to. After a few seconds of searching, he chuckled and turned around. "Ha…ha Granger, very funny…" he said as he looked around for the drunk brunette.

He quickly pulled put his wand and cast a Silencio on the balcony, "Granger?" he shouted.

"Up here," a voice called from above.

Draco looked up and nearly had a heart attack. "Granger! Get down from there this instant," he shouted worriedly. Hermione had somehow managed to climb up the wall by pulling herself up on a vine, her skirt bunching up at her legs and her high heeled shoes lying abandoned on the ground below her.

Hermione stopped climbing and looked back at him, "This is fun," she giggled as she continued her ascent. "Come join me, Draco," she shouted over her shoulder.

"Don't be ridiculous," Draco shouted, his voice strained with worry, "Now stop this at once!"

Hermione laughed and continued climbing until she had reached the roof of the palace. She heaved herself up and sat down, her legs dangling off the corner. "Come get me, Draco," she said as she stared at the stars.

"Hermione! Get down from there!" Draco said insistently, as he tried to lure the drunk girl off the roof.

"But the stars, Draco, they're so pretty. Come and see!" Hermione exclaimed as she lay back on the warm roof tiles.

Draco sighed before flinging off his jacket and climbing up the long vine to the roof of the palace. He reached the top and moved carefully over to her, but she didn't seem notice him as her gaze was fixed on the stars.

As he lay down beside her, she let out a small yawn and clasped his hand, pointing to a constellation with the other. "I see you, Draco."

Draco's gaze lay fixed on her face, "I see you too, and you're exquisite," he whispered with a small smile.

Hermione giggled. "You're so silly. I'm not up there. "

"I know," Draco murmured, as he moved his gaze away from her and toward the starlit sky.

And just like that, with their fingers laced together, the pair fell asleep under the starry night sky.

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><p>Draco was awoken by a quiet voice, "Oh dear."<p>

He blinked his eyes sleepily before he lifted his head up and looked at the person in front of him. He rubbed his eyes to get rid of the blurriness and used his elbows to pull himself up. He squinted in the dark at the small figure in front of him. As his vision cleared, he saw that the person who had disturbed his sleep was none other than Luna Lovegood.

"What do you want?" he asked as he ran a hand through his sleep tousled hair.

"Ah Mr. Malfoi, you have awoken," the blond said with a sigh of relief.

"Yes I have, now what do you want?" Draco asked grumpily.

"Both of your families have noticed your absence. I believe your friend, Mr. Crabbe, has covered for you and I for her," the Luna look-a-like said as she gestured to Hermione. "Now both of you need to neaten up and hurry back, before your families notice that you are not with either me or Mr. Crabbe," she continued as she started to climb down.

"Uh thank you Miss…" Draco said awkwardly as he looked down from the roof.

"Miss Ardorgood," she said as she reached the floor. "Now hurry Mr. Malfoi," she said before opening the door and returning to the ballroom.

Draco looked at her in wonder before he turned to Hermione.

"Granger, hey Granger. Wake up!" he said as he shook his companion lightly.

"Wha…?" Hermione mumbled, her eyes slowly opening.

"Come on Granger, we need to get down. Now!" Draco said as he pulled her up.

Hermione let out a soft grunt, which Draco found oddly endearing, "Fine, I'm awake," she hissed as she rubbed her sleep imbued eyes.

"Good, now let's get down from here," Draco said as he let go of her shoulders and began making his way down the vine.

As he climbed, Hermione looked at him before she rubbed her hands together nervously.

When Draco had reached the bottom, he looked up at Hermione, "Well come down already," he said impatiently.

"I… I can't," Hermione stuttered.

Draco looked at her in confusion, "What do you mean you can't?"

"I'm scared of heights," Hermione mumbled softly.

"What was that?" Draco asked as he cupped his hand to his ear.

"I'm scared of heights, okay!" Hermione shouted back, tears filling her eyes.

"How could you be afraid of heights when you climbed up there in the first place?" Draco asked, bewildered.

"I was drunk, obviously I didn't know what I was doing," Hermione said, as her tears made her eyes gleam.

Draco's face softened at the sight of her tear-filled eyes. "Okay, Granger now I need you to slowly come to the corner and when you do, turn around and jump, okay?"

"Jump? I can't jump! It's too high!" Hermione shouted.

"Goddammit! Do you trust me Granger?" Draco shouted.

Hermione took a few minutes to consider her answer," yes, I suppose I do."

"Then jump Hermione, I'll catch you," Draco said as he held his arms out.

Hermione studied him for a few more minutes, before she nodded slowly and walked towards the corner. She then turned around cautiously, placing her foot at the edge of the roof. Falling backwards, she called out, "Catch me Draco!"

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><p><strong>Review and enjoy!<strong>

**Ps: sorry for any grammatical or spelling errors.**

**Arriva deci!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for the reviews!**

**I do not own Harry Potter or any other characters; J.K Rowling does! The storyline, however, is mine.**

**Ch.6**

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><p>Draco watched as Hermione twisted as she jumped off the roof. It wasn't really a jump. It was more of a fall. As if she was offering her body up as a sacrifice to gravity and letting it do what it would with her, she arched forward, her hair being blown back by the wind. Draco looked at her unconsciously graceful movements and just barely lifted up his arms to catch her in time when he felt the light weight of her land in his arms.<p>

His gaze was immediately drawn to her face, which glowed in the moonlight, transforming her into a mahogany haired angel. He stared at her for a few minutes before he realised that she had yet to open her eyes. He gently shook her as he held her afloat in his arms.

"Hermione, time to wake up," he whispered, suddenly conscious of the warm summer air surrounding him.

While Hermione was not heavy, he still felt the lingering effects of the wine and he was beginning to tire. He gently shook Hermione once more and breathed a sigh of relief when she slowly opened her eyes.

"Malfoy, what on earth happened?" she asked as she rubbed her eyes to get rid of the last whispers of sleep that still clung to her.

"Well Granger you decided to climb up to the roof like a crazy woman and then proceeded to go star gazing, you took a little nap after that," Draco said, forgoing the part where they had both fallen asleep on the roof, "And I had to make sure you didn't fall off the roof. Which proofed to be awfully hard," he finished, his face forming a disgruntled expression.

"I see," Hermione said somewhat suspiciously, "Well thank you for taking care of me. But I would like to get down now, if you please." Hermione moved her eyes between Draco's arms and the floor as if to indicate her need to set her feet on the ground.

Draco snorted, "Took care of you and that's all I get," he muttered under his breath.

Hermione narrowed her eyes, "What was that Malfoy?"

Draco's expression morphed to that of on angel, "Oh nothing my dear Granger," he said as he placed her back on her feet.

"Well I suppose we should head inside if that's all," Hermione said primly as she went inside.

Draco shook his head at her behaviour before shortly following after her.

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><p>Hermione felt mortified when she recalled her drunken endeavours, her memories slowly losing their fuzziness as Draco spoke. She had climbed a roof! In a dress! And Malfoy had seen. How would she ever live this down, she sighed. He was probably going to lord this over her now. Hermione was surprised when she did not hear any teasing words from Draco who had instead simply put her down and muttered. Oh how she hated that habit of his, when he chose to voice his thoughts aloud but so quietly that she could not hear, it infuriated her to no end but she found that she always puzzled as to why she felt irritation at not knowing what his thoughts were. Her frustration has caused her to simply lift up her nose and walked away primly.<p>

The ball was still going on when she entered through the balcony doors, laughter and music echoing throughout the large room. She glanced around for her parents and instead caught the eye of a girl who surprisingly looked identical to Luna Lovegood. As Hermione looked on in confusion the girl simply winked at her before moving her gaze to the right. Hermione followed her gaze and saw that it was directed at Draco, who had just entered the ballroom through the same doors she had.

Realization dawned on Hermione and she vehemently shook her head, denying all that the girl's wink had suggested. The girl shrugged before moving to grasp the arm of a boy who bore a striking resemblance to Crabbe. Hermione watched as the girl gestured towards Draco and the boy nodded his head before making his way through the crowd to Draco's side. Hermione tried to keep track of them but she soon lost track of the pair. As she was searching, she failed to notice the girl come up to her until she heard someone clear their throat.

"Hermione, you really should be careful, you could have gotten caught with Mr Malfoi," the girl said, her words a warning yet they somehow ended up sounding amused.

Hermione was about to retort when she realised her manners," Why would I have to avoid getting caught with Mr uh Malfoi?" she asked, confused.

"Lord Granis would not be too pleased if you were caught socialising with a rival house," the girl said in a dream filled tone.

"Uh thank you Miss…," Hermione stumbled, she had yet to learn the girl's name.

"Linette Ardorgood. Gracious Hermione, how could you have forgotten one of your oldest friend's name," Linette said, her voice somewhat hurt.

Hermione bowed her head," Forgive me, I am not quite myself tonight. The wine's effect still lingers on me."

The girl simply nodded her head before moving towards a serving table, there she grasped a silver chalice filled with liquid and brought it back to Hermione. "Here this should help you with the aftereffects of the wine."

Hermione accepted it gratefully and took a large sip of the liquid, the memory of the aftereffects of some fire-whiskey with the boys still fresh in her mind.

"Good, now we need to find your parents. I believe that they will be leaving soon and they will not be too happy if they cannot find you," Linette said as she quickly pulled Hermione .

Hermione quickly drained the liquid from the chalice before placing it hastily on a table before letting the blonde haired girl pull her away.

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><p>When Draco entered the ballroom, his eyes roamed the room for Hermione and he spotted her standing in a corner, deep in a conversation with a Miss Ardorgood across the room. He was about to walk towards her when he felt a hand pull him away. He looked up and met the eyes of Cornelius Crabbe.<p>

"You were lucky Miss Ardorgood was able to notify me about your recent adventure otherwise we would have two very disgruntled families to deal with," he said as he let go of Draco's arm.

"Ah yes, thank you for that. But what would have happened if we were seen together?" Draco asked, confusion clear in his voice.

"Your father, Lord Malfoi detests the house of Granis and he would have your head before he would let you converse with that girl," Cornelius said. He picked up a chalice from one of the passing waiters and handed it to Draco.

"Here, have this. It will help when you no longer feel the grace of the wine," he said, looking around cautiously. When he had confirmed that all was well, he beckoned to Draco. "We need to find your parents, they were searching for you earlier."

Draco nodded and placed the chalice down on a table before following the largely built boy through the crowd.

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><p><strong>Review and enjoy!<strong>

**Ps: sorry for any grammatical or spelling errors.**

**Au revoir! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for the reviews! **

**I do not own Harry Potter or any other characters; J.K Rowling does! The storyline, however, is mine. **

**Ch.7**

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><p>Hermione followed behind the whimsical girl as she wove through the crowd and made her way into a corridor.<p>

"They await you in one of the sitting rooms," she said as she gave Hermione's hand another tug. Hermione nodded and increased her pace in order to keep up with Linette, her feet already beginning to complain about walk the pain her shoes were causing along with her speedy steps.

The pair continued to walk through a long corridor filled with portraits of the previous kings and queens. Hermione wanted to further study the lifelike portraits but a sharp tug from Linette had her own her way. She cast one last glance behind her back before she abruptly walked into Linette's back.

Rubbing her head, she murmured a quick apology and looked up to see the reason they had stopped. Looking around Linette, she saw a large mahogany door, "Are they in there?" she asked.

Linnet nodded and drew her closer, "Now remember, you went out to take air and I stumbled across you and that lead to us having a lengthy conversation about ball gowns," Linette whispered.

Hermione nodded and placed her hand on the other girl's shoulder, "How ever will I thank you?"

Linette smiled, "It is but a friend's duty. Now go placate your parents and I will convince mine to pay call tomorrow so that you may tell me the extraordinary circumstances which led to you being on the roof with none other than Lord Malfoi."

Hermione nodded her consent before squaring her shoulders and knocking on the door. When she heard a voice call from the inside, she opened it slowly and found herself face to face with her very worried mother.

"Oh Hermione, where have you been? We have been looking everywhere for you," her mother said, her face lined with worry.

Hugging her mother as best she could with her dress, she patted her reassuringly on the back, "There there mother. The ballroom was slightly too stuffy for me so I went out to take air on the balcony and I ran into Linette. We began to speak about the recent styles of ball gowns and I fear time escaped our notice."

Her mother sniffed at her reply before returning her hug, "Okay dear. It does warm me to know that you are finally taking an interest in womanly pursuits instead of always having your head in a book."

Hermione shot an exasperated look at her father, who had come to stand behind her mother, he simply gave her a helpless look before shrugging. Hermione groaned before trying to distract her mother, "Linette even said that she would come tomorrow, I hope that is acceptable?"

Her mother released her and smiled, "Of course. Miss Ardorgood is a charming girl, although albeit a little strange, but charming none the less. She will be pleasant company, along with her parents of course."

Hermione smiled, her distraction had worked, "Of course. Now I believe it was time we returned home," she said with a pleading look to her father.

Her mother sighed as her father replied, "Indeed, I have grown tired this and since we are to have guests tomorrow, we must be our alert. Come along dear," he said as he held out an arm for his wife. She smiled at him and took it, following him out of the room with Hermione behind them.

They walked to the ballroom once again before going in front the thrones.

They waited for the royal herald to announce them before Hermione's father spoke, "Your majesties, we must take your leave. My health wanes this night."

Hermione shot her father a hidden look filled with silent laughter before turning her gaze back to the king and queen.

The king tipped his head slightly, "Of course Lord Granis. I wish you well health."

Hermione's father nodded before turning and walking towards the door. As they passed, Hermione searched for Draco but was unable to find him. Perhaps he was still pacifying his parents, with that thought a light blush arose, he was in trouble because he had stayed back to help her. She let out a soft sigh as she thought about the heated look that he had given her when they had been up on the roof. It was best, she thought, to forget about it, but yet she still found the thought circling around in her head.

She had been so lost in her musings that she only noticed her surroundings when a footman waited to help her up into the carriage. Taking his hand, she carefully stepped in and looked out into the night sky which had heralded her arrival and now her departure.

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><p>Draco walked beside the boy who had introduced himself as Cornelius Crabbe. He was still slightly wary of the boy but still grateful for his assistance. He had tried to hid his panic at their current situation since he had woken up in a foreign bed with parents he didn't know but he found it now bubbling to the surface as they walked down a long corridor. He had to convince Hermione to fall in love with him in less the five months, he snorted, it had been impossible enough in Hogwarts but here with feuding families and the rules of court, he had no chance. He smiled as he realised that the first step had already been taken, there was no reason for him to fall in love with her, he already had been in love with her for a while now and all it had taken was a trip to an imaginary realm, a dance and a trip to a roof to unearth that fact.<p>

He was shaken from his musings as his walking partner let out a small cough. He shook his head and arranged his thoughts as he faced the boy.

"We're here," he replied to Draco's questioning look. Draco nodded and the boy continued, "Now remember we met by the liquor table and began to discuss the land disputes between our neighbours. We were so focused on our points that we failed to notice the time."

Draco nodded once again before reaching out his hand to shake, "Thank you."

The boy grasped his hand and shook it firmly, "Now tomorrow I hope that we may hunt and while doing so, you can tell me what conspired to you being on the roof with the Granis heir."

"Of course," Draco said as he let go of the boy's hand, an explanation was the least he could do after the help the boy had provided.

The boy gave a final nod before walking back to the sounds of the ballroom. Draco watched him go before loosening his shoulders and reaching out for the door. He knocked and waited for permission to enter before turning the door knob.

He carefully stepped in and was met with calm face of his father who had reassuring arms around his mother. At his arrival, his father looked up and gave him a quick once over before looking relieved. He leaned down and whispered to his wife before letting her go.

As soon as his father let her go, his mother made his way to him and quickly checked his face, "Oh thank God, I feared you had been consumed by liquor and had wandered off into trouble."

Draco bit back a snort at the irony before placing a reassuring hand over his mother's hand, "I met Cornelius and it turns out we have opposing views over the land ownership of our neighbours. In fact we're meeting tomorrow to further discuss it."

His mother gave him a smile before nodding, "That is good news. You need to engage further in the activities of a Lord. Now I think I need to rest," turning around she looked at her husband, "Love, shall we depart?"

Draco's father nodded his head and they soon left. Draco once again lost himself in his musings as he tried to plan a way to woo Hermione and get them out of their current situation.

He was jolted out of his plans when he found himself outside their carriage with his mother calling out to him.

"My apologies, it seems that I am more tired than I thought," he offered as he stepped into the carriage. His mother nodded in understanding and placed her head on her husband's shoulders. Watching their open display of affection, Draco's eye drifted to the night sky and his mind drifted towards Hermione.

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><p><strong>Review and enjoy!<strong>

** This may seem like it's moving fast, with Draco realising his feelings but remember they had spent time together for five months at Hogwarts **

**Ps: sorry for any grammatical or spelling errors. **

**Au revoir!**


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